Digital Photographer - UK (2020-01)

Above

Your store

Your personal store contains only the

images that you upload. The design is

simple, but the aim is to focus on the images

and maximise sales. It also has links to your

social media channels and website

Picfair is a UK-based photography platform

and image library set up by the former

Guardian and New York Times journalist

Benji Lanyado. What’s different about Picfair

is that you set the price that you want for

your images, and if one sells, that’s the price

you get. Picfair makes its money from the

sale by adding 20 per cent on top of your

fee. Further good news is that the basic

model of Picfair is free to use and available

to anyone.

Once you’ve created an account, you can

upload images and start selling on a global

marketplace as well as from your own online

shop. Picfair takes care of the licenses and

manages the worldwide marketing, and your

images can be licensed for digital download,

personal, editorial, commercial and

advertising use. It’s also possible for clients

to order a small range of print formats.

If you opt for the free service you’re able

to create a basic store, but you need to

upgrade to a Picfair+ account if you want

to link to your social media channels and

website. This type of account also lets you

add extra navigation elements to the store

menu, upload a custom logo and bespoke

watermark and use a custom domain. Picfair

can’t create custom domains, so you need

to purchase one from a domain registrar or

transfer one you already own.

Like other image libraries, the painful part

of uploading images is adding details and

tagging, but thankfully you can copy and

paste from one image to another here. Once

you’ve uploaded a few images, you can start

organising them into albums.

Picfair also has a referral scheme, and you

can earn 50 per cent of their commission

from sales made via your referral link.

The personal store layout is smart but not

flash, as there are only two themes (light or

dark) and three layout styles. However, some

photographers may find it’s all they need for

a website, especially if it drives sales. Others

may prefer to link to their Picfair store from

a more bespoke website.

PICFAIR

An image library that pays you the price you want

picfair.com/plus

Free or £4.99 / $6.99 per month for Picfair+

To p

Global sales

Picfair adds your images to its

image library, and buyers can search

the database to find the shots they

want to use. They pay 120 per cent

of the price you set for your image

A Picfair account seems like a no-brainer for

many photographers. It’s a simple, convenient

way to sell images to your clients and gives

you a route to a global market.

Overall

Ease of use

Value for money

Features

Quality of results

Summary

ACCESSORIES

Above

Yourstore

Yourpersonalstorecontainsonlythe

imagesthatyouupload.Thedesignis

simple,buttheaimis tofocusontheimages

andmaximisesales.It alsohaslinkstoyour

socialmediachannelsandwebsite

Picfairisa UK-basedphotographyplatform
andimagelibrarysetupbytheformer
GuardianandNewYorkTimesjournalist
BenjiLanyado.What’sdifferentaboutPicfair
isthatyousetthepricethatyouwantfor
yourimages,andif onesells,that’stheprice
youget.Picfairmakesitsmoneyfromthe
salebyadding 20 percentontopofyour
fee.Furthergoodnewsisthatthebasic
modelofPicfairisfreetouseandavailable
toanyone.
Onceyou’vecreatedanaccount,youcan
uploadimagesandstartsellingona global
marketplaceaswellasfromyourownonline
shop.Picfairtakescareofthelicensesand
managestheworldwidemarketing,andyour
imagescanbelicensedfordigitaldownload,
personal,editorial,commercialand
advertisinguse.It’salsopossibleforclients
toordera smallrangeofprintformats.

If youoptforthefreeserviceyou’reable

tocreatea basicstore,butyouneedto

upgradetoa Picfair+accountif youwant

tolinktoyoursocialmediachannelsand

website.Thistypeofaccountalsoletsyou

addextranavigationelementstothestore

menu,uploada customlogoandbespoke

watermarkandusea customdomain.Picfair

can’tcreatecustomdomains,soyouneed

topurchaseonefroma domainregistraror

transferoneyoualreadyown.

Likeotherimagelibraries,thepainfulpart

ofuploadingimagesisaddingdetailsand

tagging,butthankfullyyoucancopyand

pastefromoneimagetoanotherhere.Once

you’veuploadeda fewimages,youcanstart

organisingthemintoalbums.

Picfairalsohasa referralscheme,andyou

canearn 50 percentoftheircommission

fromsalesmadeviayourreferrallink.

Thepersonalstorelayoutissmartbutnot

flash,asthereareonlytwothemes(lightor

dark)andthreelayoutstyles.However,some

photographersmayfindit’salltheyneedfor

a website,especiallyif it drivessales.Others

mayprefertolinktotheirPicfairstorefrom

a morebespokewebsite.

PICFAIR

Animagelibrarythatpaysyouthepriceyouwant
picfair.com/plus
Freeor£4.99/ $6.99permonthforPicfair+

To p

Globalsales

Picfairaddsyourimagestoits

imagelibrary,andbuyerscansearch

thedatabasetofindtheshotsthey

wanttouse.Theypay 120 percent

ofthepriceyousetforyourimage

A Picfairaccountseems likea no-brainerfor

many photographers. It’s asimple,convenient

way to sell images to yourclientsandgives

you a route to a global market.

Overall

Easeofuse

Value for money

Features

Quality of results

Summary

ACCESSORIES